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What’s Your ‘Tude?: Platitudes

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“It’s a good day for my bad attitude!” If that slogan’s speaking your language right about now, perhaps you should consider joining me this week to discover what the Bible says about attitudes. Could be a ‘tude adjustment is in order!

 

Platitudes

“Your platitudes are as valuable as ashes. Your defense is as fragile as a clay pot.

Job 13:12, NLT

Wednesday_Day_Three_Pic_#1-Famous_sayingsEver had friends fake-help you through a difficult time by giving you their rundown of the situation? They lob lofty-sounding quotes, impromptu analyses, and reasons for your dilemma. You feel worst than you did before their “help”! Today’s Dose verse reflects what Job said to his friends when he encountered their “help” concerning his suffering. He didn’t value their words.

The ERV reads, “The wise sayings you quote are worthless. Your arguments are as weak as clay.”  I don’t believe that all platitudes are worthless. At times, one spoken at the right time and in the correct way brought me exactly the comfort I needed and appreciated. It’s empty platitudes that bring no comfort or cause for appreciation.

An attitude of platitudes makes empty platitudes one’s go-to solution. It’s displayed when we routinely and carelessly offer empty platitudes to those who hurt, giving little thought as to whether our words are really helping them or not. This attitude makes us feel better that we said something “wise” while simultaneously preventing us from seeing that we really said nothing substantive at all.

Some of these empty platitudes are things that sound like they should come from the Bible, but don’t such as “God helps those who help themselves.” Others are our misinterpretations of Scripture: “God will never give you more than you can handle.” Perhaps the most damaging display of this attitude is when we (like Job’s friends) act as if we have all the answers to another’s problems. Job got upset with his friends because they were talking out of turn and authority and not helping. They came off as speaking for God.

Wednesday_Day_Three_Pic_#2-Compassion_signDon’t we do that sometimes? I know I’ve been guilty of this practice. We feel compelled to say something, anything, to make an uncomfortable situation easier. We rarely have the full story, God has not appointed us His spokesperson, but we proceed as if we do and He has! Does that reflect the attitude of Christ that we want to display? Christ’s love is displayed through an attitude of compassion. Why not tell our hurting friend that we’re available for them (to, stay, listen, pray, and empathize) or ask how we can help?

When Christ did this, people knew that He cared for them. That’s one reason I know He cares for me!  Love endures (I Cor. 13:7).

An attitude of hasty empty platitudes won’t give people hope; an attitude of steadfast compassion will.

Compassion over platitudes,

Rita

What’s Your ‘Tude?: Crude ‘Tude

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“It’s a good day for my bad attitude!” If that slogan’s speaking your language right about now, perhaps you should consider joining me this week to discover what the Bible says about attitudes. Could be a ‘tude adjustment is in order!

 

Crude ‘Tude

“Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.”

Ephesians 5:4, ESV

Tuesday_Day_Two_Pic_#1-Lady_on_PhoneSometimes our behaviors take rude attitudes to the extreme and we move into the realm of crudeness. The dictionary defines crude as “rude in a way that makes people uncomfortable, especially talking about sexual matters in a rude way.” If you’ve ever laughed at, told jokes about, or shared video-clips, stories, pictures, or other media of out of control people (like improperly clothed, naked, or impaired folks), then you’ve been part of the crude attitude bunch.

We can easily slip into behaviors that reflect foolish and crude attitudes when we ignore the Holy Spirit and our concern for others. How many time have we found ourselves looking and laughing at things that we ought not, like video clips someone has sent or posted of vulnerable people at their worst? They brought it on themselves through their poor choices, we say. Truth is, our poor choices to mock them blocks us from showing God’s love and can cause them to curse us.

Recall the Bible story of Noah and his sons? After the great flood, Noah drank some homemade wine from his vineyard, got drunk, and lay down naked in his tent. (See Genesis 9:20-21.) His youngest son, Ham, stopped and saw him and instead of covering his father up, he looked at him for a while and went and told his brothers about it. Now, the Bible doesn’t give much detail to the matter, but I imagine that Ham might have found it amusing to see his father lying there vulnerable and decided to have a laugh about it with his brothers.

“Bros, you are not going to believe this; Pops is sprawled out, drunk as a skunk, butt naked on his tent floor. I just saw him, check it out!” Had he felt compassion for his father’s embarrassing plight, he’d have covered him up and perhaps kept it a private matter. His older brothers didn’t participate in his crude foolishness. They covered their father without even looking upon his nakedness (vs.23).  They displayed attitudes of compassion, love, and thankfulness toward their Tuesday_Day_Two_Pic_#2-Thankful_Signfather, unlike Ham. Noah blessed them and cursed Ham’s son (vs. 24-27). Love doesn’t rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth (1 Cor. 13:6, ESV).

Read today’s Dose verse. An attitude like Christ’s is not foolish and crude but thankful. As difficult as changing crude attitudes may be, every believer has the power of the Holy Spirit to do so if they choose. What’s your choice?

Thankfulness over crudeness,

Rita

[Read this story of Noah in Genesis 9:20-27.]

What’s Your ‘Tude?: Rude ‘Tude

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“It’s a good day for my bad attitude!” If that slogan’s speaking your language right about now, perhaps you should consider joining me this week to discover what the Bible says about attitudes. Could be a ‘tude adjustment is in order!

 

Rude ‘Tude

“Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. …He humbled himself in obedience to God.”

Philippians 2:3-5,8 NLT

Monday_Day_One_Pic_#1-Rude_WomanSometimes our behavior as children of the King is so unattractive that we block God’s love from shining through us.

One day, I inadvertently cut in line at a fast food restaurant drive-thru. There were two drive-up lanes and one was practically empty, so I drove straight up to the short one. The next thing I knew, some irate guy had screeched his big pick-up truck to a stop, jumped out, and was running up to my car yelling his head off!

My first instinct was to put up the window, now! Next, decide whether or not to even look at this dude. Ok, I looked. When I cracked the window a tiny bit to acknowledge him, he shouted, “Don’t be rude, Stupid; the line starts back there”! I looked back to where he was pointing and suddenly realized I had cut in line. Oops! It never entered my mind that the way these customers were lining up was everybody in one long line until they got close enough to choose a left or right split-off. I was used to a single lane drive-thru. I was also very embarrassed and unable to go around because other cars had pulled up behind mine and there was nothing left to do but proceed to the window.

Mr. Angry Pants was still seething at my driver’s window so I shouted, “I’m sorry I cut in line, I didn’t realize that’s what I Monday_Day_One_Pic_#2-Humble_Signwas doing when I pulled over here, but calling me stupid is rude too!” He stormed back to his truck, in a huff, and moved through the other line. As he pulled off a little while later, I noticed that he had a Jesus fish on the back of his truck! I had embarrassingly cut in line. He had gotten angry. Suffice it to say, neither one of us was feeling the love or showing it! Through our self-centeredness we had both blocked the light of God’s love with our rude ‘tudes.

Read today’s Dose verse. As a part of the body of Christ, we don’t have to behave rudely towards others. We have the power of the Holy Spirit to make godly choices in our behaviors, behaviors that reflect a humble and loving attitude, suitable for building godly relationships with others. Love is not rude (1 Cor. 13:5).

When we surrender our will to that of the Holy Spirit, we can love others according to God’s command. Is your ‘tude rude?

Losing’ the rude,

Rita